Garcia Offers Apology for Outburst at the Masters

Sergio Garcia has issued an apology for his on-course outburst during the final round of the Masters tournament. The incident occurred after Garcia hit a poor drive on the second hole, prompting him to tear up the turf and subsequently break his driver against a bench. In a statement posted on social media, Garcia expressed his regret, stating, "I want to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have immense respect and appreciation for The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my behavior, which does not reflect my true feelings towards the tournament, its patrons, officials, and golf enthusiasts worldwide." Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee. This warning was part of a new conduct policy introduced at The Masters this year. The 2017 champion began his round with a bogey and then hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which was headed towards the bunker. In frustration, Garcia slammed his driver onto the tee and then into the turf, causing damage. Without repairing the damage, he then struck his driver against a wooden bench, leaving the clubhead dangling from the shaft. When questioned about the incident, Garcia declined to discuss the details, stating, "I'm not going to tell you." When asked again, he replied, "Next question." Garcia did not apologize for his behavior after his round, simply stating, "Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens." It has been noted that Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since his 2017 victory at Augusta National. He has also missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters since his win. When asked about his record, Garcia attributed it to "bad golf" and "bad shots." This is not the first time Garcia has been involved in an on-course incident. In 2019, he was disqualified from the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. Other notable incidents include kicking off his shoe in anger during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001 and spitting into a cup after three-putting at the World Golf Championship at Doral. The PGA Tour has been developing its code-of-conduct policy over the last few years, with The Masters being the first tournament to implement it. The PGA Championship will also be using this policy next month at Aronimink Golf Club. According to the policy, a second violation during the tournament will result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation will lead to disqualification.